Diary of a Wimpy Kid is back, this time in animated form, and available to watch now on Disney+ — but is it worth your time?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the most popular franchises on the planet. Not only are the books by Jeff Kinney best sellers, the live action films are hits. Now there is an animated film, available on Disney+, but is it worth watching? My kids would answer a loud and excited YES!
While parents who know the story already might feel like why is this movie necessary, the kids who love the franchise will be thrilled for more content to soak up. It should be noted that this is no different than what has come before it, besides the animation of course. This film is clearly the start of several Diary of a Wimpy Kid animated films to come, and there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Due to being animated, they are able to more deeply explore some aspects and pull off things that didn’t work as well with live action. The cheese is even more disgusting than you imagine and yes, THAT scene featuring it will churn even then strongest of stomachs.
Speaking of the animation, this style is a lot of fun and feels perfect for this story. Think Captain Underpants, which honestly, this story is very similar to as well. Two best friends just trying to survive Middle School. There are fights, weird kids, bullies, and a very moldy piece of cheese to navigate past in order to come out the other side of it in one piece.
Related: Brady Noon Says Joining Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Is A Dream Come True
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is full of childish humor, while also teaching the important lesson of treating others how you wish to be treated. The main character Greg isn’t always the nicest kid, which makes him hard to like. However, his best friend Rowley is extremely lovable due to his good nature.
The biggest issue with Diary of a Wimpy Kid is that it is nothing new. For those who do not know the franchise at all, you are sure to fall in love with it and go down a really fun rabbit hole that includes the books and live action films. However, for those that already know it, talking specifically of the adults here, it is very repetitive.
This movie is based off the first book and tells that story, well most of it, in about an hour. The very same story that parents of Wimpy Kid fans know inside and out. To their testament they certainly try to keep it tighter, and to one specific story line with no side stories or subplots.
We already know that a second film is coming, and would love to see these animated versions continue for many years, and get to the books that we have yet to see play out in movie form.
Related: Jeff Kinney Confirms The “Cheese Touch” Is Real & More Wimpy Kid Fun Facts
That being said, the sheer look of joy on the faces of the kids you are watching with is enough to make this one worth your time. There are laugh out loud moments that the whole family will enjoy, even if you know they are coming. This is the perfect introduction to the franchise for new fans, and the icing on the cake for longtime fans.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a laugh out loud, family friendly film that teaches kids it is OK to make mistakes and to value true friendships. A great introduction to the franchise for newbies, and a fun addition for long time fans.
Rating: 3/5
About Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The first book in Jeff Kinney’s worldwide bestselling series comes to Disney+ in the all-new animated adventure “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first.
To make matters worse, Greg’s lovable best friend Rowley seems to coast through life and succeed at everything without even trying! As details of his hilarious – and often disastrous – attempts to fit in fill the pages of his journal, Greg learns to appreciate true friends and the satisfaction that comes from standing up for what is right.
Directed by Swinton Scott (“Futurama”) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” features the voices of Brady Noon (“The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers”) as Greg Heffley, Ethan William Childress (“mixed-ish”) as Rowley Jefferson, and Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) as Frank Heffley.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is available exclusively on Disney+ now!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.